So, how did they pick Lara’s new British name? The guys at Core, which was located in Derby, England, grabbed a phone book and started looking for names that sounded like Laura Cruz. Eidos wanted to give the game more British appeal, so Laura Cruz was out. The final step in Lara’s evolution came when Eidos Interactive purchased Core’s parent company in 1996. Sorry to tease you with what could have been ass-men.Ĥ) There’s an actual Lara Croft living somewhere in Derby, England. The only big difference was that this wasn’t Lara Croft, it was Laura Cruz, sassy South American. For a while proto-Lara was a flowy fabrics and cargo pants-wearing imitation of 90s Euro-rapper Neneh Cherry.Įventually Core landed on a design that mostly resembles the Lara we know - long braided hair, tight-top and hiking boots. Eventually this direction was abandoned because Lara looked too “Nazi-like”. Early on Lara was supposed to be a bit of a sociopath, who wasn’t shy about killing, had more of a beefy frame and sported short hair and military-themed outfits. They didn’t land on a winning female character right away though. A change of gender was the easiest way to do that. In reality, Core was probably worried Lucasfilm would sue over their obvious Indiana Jones rip-off, and so they needed a new character that definitely wouldn’t be confused with Harrison Ford. Lara Croft’s creator Toby Gard has joked it became obvious Tomb Raider needed a female protagonist when he realized third-person games involve a lot of staring at the main character’s butt, so to keep him sane through the long hours, he should probably make that butt a lady’s butt. Lara should really get her mustache back in the next game.ģ) Lara Croft began life as spicy Latina, Laura Cruz. Once the setting was in place, it was time to design a lead character, and who better to traipse around Egyptian tombs than Indiana Jones? And thus Tomb Raider, a series that made its name on its iconic female protagonist, initially starred a muscled-up, handlebar moustache-sporting version of Harrison Ford. A third-person 3D game on the other hand requires a moveable camera, which means your 3D game actually has to be 3D.Ĭore eventually settled on the interior of Egyptian and Aztec pyramids as the setting for their 3D game, because it would allow them to break the environment up into a series of small rooms and corridors. Back in the mid-90s, almost all “3D” games were first-person, which allowed you fake things with scaling 2D spites ala Doom. That doesn’t sound like a big deal now, but it was revolutionary at the time. The initial idea that eventually bloomed into Tomb Raider was Core Design’s desire to do a 3D game where you could actually see your character. The game was created over a period of three years (1993 – 96) by developer Core Design, which, at the time, consisted of only six guys.Īpparently one of the six guys stepped out to the washroom for this shot.Ģ) The game initially starred a male Indiana Jones rip-off. Tomb Raider was cutting edge stuff, but back in 1996 cutting edge didn’t necessarily require a staff of hundreds/thousands. Here are a few things you might not know about the game that introduced us to the first lady of video games…ġ) Tomb Raider was the creation of just six people. Tomb Raider was a groundbreaking 3D action-adventure game, and one of the first titles to star an unabashedly female character, which are totally the two things people remember most about the game. However, we've now decided to add some extra ones.One of the big announcements at this year’s E3 was Rise of the Tomb Raider (ugh, that title) so now seems like a good time to take a look back at the game that kicked off Lara Croft’s crypt robbing career. Some of her best quotes have already been documented in this list. Lara also happens to constantly deliver deep and hilarious lines during all of her adventures. She's intelligent, strong, and has changed with the times. The reasons why the explorer remains so well-liked are plentiful. After all, how many other characters that debuted in the '90s are still popular today? There are certainly not many of them. Updated November 26th, 2021, By Ben Jessey: It's fair to say that Lara Croft is one of the most iconic and likable video game protagonists of all time. She even has pithy quotes to keep you thinking long after she's gone on to the next adventure. You best get out of her way because she'll charge right through you. RELATED: The Best & Worst Tomb Raider Games Lara Croft is the ultimate tomb raider with a mind for puzzles and an insatiable appetite for the truth. She's survived plane crashes, shipwrecks, vehicular collisions, and just about every type of gunfight that you can imagine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |